the LaunchED challenge
LaunchED has partnered with Stride to provide up to $1M in potential funding to selected candidates.
Rolling Applications Accepted Until 12.12.25
how the challenge works
Submit Your Application
Submit Your Application
Submit Your Application
Tell us about your product, your team, and its innovation. Accepting rolling applications until December 12, 2025.
Review Process
Submit Your Application
Submit Your Application
The investment team will review applications and choose candidates to go to the Pitch Round. Those candidates will be assigned a mentor to work with you to prepare your pitch.
pitch round
pitch round
pitch round
In March 2026, candidates will present their pitch to the investment team for an opportunity to receive seed funding.
funding
pitch round
pitch round
Those chosen from the Pitch Round may receive investment funding and mentor support to help you bring your ideas to market. Funding will be subject to additional terms and conditions.
what we are looking for
TRACK 1: Driving Engagement Through AI
Track 2: AI Enabled Career/Skills Training
Track 2: AI Enabled Career/Skills Training
LaunchED seeks student-led education business initiatives that use AI to improve teaching and learning outcomes. We're looking for solutions that:
- Drive engagement through AI-powered curriculum and interactive learning tools
- Transform educational data into actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers
- Personalize learning experiences through individualized pathways and adaptive content
- Improve educational quality by automatically evaluating instructional materials for accuracy and accessibility.
Your venture should demonstrate how AI can make education more effective, engaging, and accessible while creating measurable value for teachers, students, or educational institutions.
Track 2: AI Enabled Career/Skills Training
Track 2: AI Enabled Career/Skills Training
Track 2: AI Enabled Career/Skills Training
LaunchED seeks student-led education business initiatives that leverage AI to improve how instruction is received and delivered in career/skills training programs through competency-based education. We're looking for solutions that:
- Enhance skills assessment through AI-powered evaluation tools that measure competency progression and identify skill gaps
- Optimize training delivery via intelligent content curation and adaptive learning paths tailored to industry requirements
- Bridge workplace readiness gaps by connecting training outcomes with real-world job performance metrics and employer needs
- Accelerate certification processes through automated competency verification and credential management systems.
Your venture should demonstrate how AI can make career and skills training more targeted, efficient, and outcome-focused while creating measurable value for learners, employers, or training organizations.
OUR MENTORS
Rita Ferrandino
Jonathan Finkelstein
Jonathan Finkelstein
Rita Ferrandino has built an international reputation as one of the most effective corporate growth strategists in the education industry in K12, Higher Education & Workforce Development. She specializes in corporate growth strategy development, investment, revenue acceleration and cost/performance improvement and overall organizational strategy.
Rita is the founding partner at Arc Capital Development, a global private investment and advisory firm. Arc invests in, operates and advises companies in the education and corporate training markets.
Rita currently serves as the Innovation Consultant at the Catalyst @ Penn GSE Innovation Center at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She has co-lead the Milken Penn Business Plan Competition.
Jonathan Finkelstein
Jonathan Finkelstein
Jonathan Finkelstein
Jonathan Finkelstein is the founder and CEO of Credly, the world’s largest digital credential platform, managing 100M+ credentials for 50M+ individuals. Prior to Credly, Jonathan founded and led LearningTimes, pioneering new learning platforms and programs for purpose-driven organizations. Earlier, as co-founder of HorizonLive (acquired by Blackboard), he shaped the market for real-time online meetings and training. His early career included advising large businesses on critical technology transformation initiatives.
Kate Finnefrock
Kate Finnefrock
Kate Finnefrock
With over two decades of product development experience in the K12, HigherEd, and Workforce Learning domains, Kate has established herself as a distinguished leader in the education technology sector. Her expertise encompasses leading product organizations in for-profit entities like Amplify Education and Guild Education, as well as developing innovative products for not-for-profit organizations and foundations such as the Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and College Board through her consulting work. Kate has also served on the boards of various industry associations and nonprofits advocating for the advancement of education technology and social impact.
Lou Pugliese
Kate Finnefrock
Kate Finnefrock
Lou Pugliese was the founding Chief Executive Officer of Blackboard Inc., where he played a central role in establishing and scaling the company into one of the world’s largest and most influential digital learning platforms. He later served as Chief Executive Officer of UMUC Ventures, a nonprofit social impact fund at the University of Maryland that invests in and manages early-stage education technology enterprises. At Arizona State University, Lou led evidence-based applied research initiatives focused on building advanced business intelligence systems and robust data environments designed to monitor learner progress, influence the teaching practice, and predict student success. Much of Lou's research has contributed to advancing higher education policy and practice.